[Editor's note] First publishes in 2012, this article still gets a huge amount of
traffic but we noticed that some of the recommendations were out of dates so we've
updated the list for 2014.

Buying a Christmas present for the whisky lover in your life? Youve perused
their whisky collection and read Stu's excellent Christmas Whisky Gifts: Buying
Guide. But you want to buy them something other than, or perhaps in addition to,
a bottle of whisky.

Where to start? Here are some suggestions...

Mature your own whisky kit

A mini cask, some new make spirit and the chance to mature whisky at home. The
higher ratio of wood to spirit contact with a small barrel like this will affect
the liquid much faster than the large casks used to mature whisky for large scale
production. In a matter of weeks and months you'll notice dramatic changes
in the spirit. Not only will this be fun but you're sure to learn a lot
about the effects of wood on spirit as you sample it at different stages of
maturation.

Great Whisky Reads

The whisky landscape shifts and evolves year on year. All that whisky slowly maturing
in dark warehouses around the globe reaches its optimum age and gets released. New brands
come into the market. So while its a slow evolution, it is relentless hence the number
of annually released whisky guides. Arguably the two most indispensable are Ingvar Rondes Malt Whisky Yearbook
and the always controversial Jim Murray's Whisky Bible, the 2015 edition of these essential
reads are available now. Another book we thoroughly enjoyed is
Ian Buxton's 101 World Whiskies to Try Before You Die. All three titles are available
here on the Master of Malt book list.

Whisky Liqueurs

In some countries - the UK for one - whisky is seen as an after dinner drink.
If however you go to France youÕll notice that on most menus itÕs listed as an aperitif
with many digestifs having a much sweeter profile. Even the most dedicated malt aficionado
gets a sweet tooth from time to time so what better way to satisfy that than with whisky
liqueur? Master of Malt make a range of whisky liqueurs based on 10, 15, 21, 30 and
even 40 year old Speyside whiskies. At over £500 a bottle the 40 year old is for those
with deep pockets but this page on their site has a whisky liqueur to suit
most budgets.

Set of tasting glasses

For those 'Mad Men' whisky moments you can't beat the style
and glamour of a good tumbler to hold your dram, but is it the best type of glass
for tasting whisky? After all you don't see many professional whisky
tasters using them. In truth, for full appreciation of the complex flavours and
aromas of whisky, you need glass where the opening is narrower than the widest
part of the glass. For durability you can't beat the solid and dependable
Glencairn glass - perfect for the job and robust enough to survive regular
visits to the dishwasher. For something a little more delicate and, dare we say it, elegant take a look
at the Whisky Exchange's own 'tulip' shaped nosing glass.

Contributors

Pierre Thiébaut

The one on the videos - Pierre is the presenter of our podcast WMTV and co-founder of Whisky Marketplace and Connosr. He has honed his nosing and tasting skills over many years and swears that it's the secret to eternal youth. Only time will tell.

Jean-Luc Thiébaut

The techie one - Jean-Luc is geeky about whisky and digital stuff in equal measures. He created Whisky Marketplace and Connosr with his own fair hands. Often found coding by candlelight.

About the site

Whisky Marketplace is a powerful whisky search and price comparison site where you can search all the top online whisky shops from one place.

The prices of whisky shown in these search results are merely indicative and can be subject to change based on the retailer. Please refer to the whisky retailers' website before completing your transaction. Whisky prices will include VAT or Sales Tax, but will not include cost of shipping. Your order may also be subject to import duty. This website uses cookies to improve the customer experience and to help us understand how visitors interact with the content, by continuing to browse you accept that we may place a cookie on your device.